Why read The Dreaded Comparison?

Book cover of The Dreaded Comparison: Human and Animal Slavery

Book description

Considered a seminal book in the fields of Bioethics and Human-Animal
Studies, and a classic in the field of humane thought, Marjorie
Spiegel's The Dreaded Comparison makes a significant contribution to
our efforts to understand the roots of individual and societal
violence, tying current cultural practices to the legacy of…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Dreaded Comparison as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

David Livingstone Smith

Author

To properly understand dehumanization—which represents human beings as subhuman creatures—it is important to recognize our less-than-humane relations with other animals. In this compact, vividly-written book, Marjorie Spiegel powerfully juxtaposes the oppressive and cruel treatment of enslaved people with the terrible treatment of nonhuman animals. The book is largely concerned with the dehumanization of enslaved Africans and their descendants, but it is also pertinent to other episodes of racial dehumanization.

From David's list on dehumanization and the impact of this phenomenon.